Project Seminar "Business Internationalisation"

2024/2025

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

3

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Strategic and International Management

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 2, 3 module

Instructor

Shaposhnikov, Sergei

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This project is practice-oriented and is structured as a simulation of a management consulting project on business internationalization. It integrates previously acquired multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills in international strategic management, financial management, international marketing and project management etc. This course is implemented with the support of the project seminar "Business Internationalization", where students systematize the knowledge gained in other courses. In addition, this project provides fundamentals of the management consulting project organization in the field of international management, approach to delivery, core consulting tools and methodologies practiced in small project groups. The work is split into stages where students are required to apply such methodologies solving a particular business sub-task. Upon completion of each stage the groups present their intermediate results/receive feedback before proceeding to the next stage. The final deliverables of the integrated project are presented at the end. The project contains two parts. The first part- students work on the project "Business Internationalization: a company, products and country to enter analysis," which lays the foundation for successful internationalization of business. The second part- students continue to work on the "Business Internationalization" project, which covers all the key steps from the company and product analysis, countries to enter selection, strategies development, operations in the host country organization, etc.

Learning Objectives

• Collect and process data necessary for completing a specific task;
• Select and use consulting tools and methodologies to gather and process input data, analyze/interpret the results and provide structured recommendations;
• Apply methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis and modeling, and of theoretical and experimental research;
• Build and manage project teams, distribute roles and responsibilities;
• Present findings and proposed initiatives to the client.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Identify a company and provide its analysis
• Select countries and provide an investigation for market entry, based on information collected about the country’s environment.
• To develop the company's entry strategy
• Establishment of the company, search for personnel, work with key partners, implementation / adaptation of the entry strategy, marketing activities, pricing policies, etc.
• Present the final result of the project to the client

Course Contents

• Business analysis and product(s) selection
• Selection of country(s) for entry
• Development of the company's entry strategy
• Organization of operational activities
• Presentation of the final result of the project to the client

Assessment Elements

• Business analysis and product(s) selection
  Identify the level of internationalization of the company; Importance of internationalization for the company, reasons, resources needed; Criteria for identifying new countries/markets; Identification of the product to be produced/supplied, its characteristics, advantages; Identification of the capacity to satisfy potential customers abroad; Seasonality of products and release dates; After-sales service. Packaging and labeling requirements; Transportation peculiarities, logistic requirements; Etc.
• Selection of country(s) for entry
  Components of market attractiveness and potential Analysis of the competitive situation, opportunities for success against competitors in the target market; Major barriers to entry that the company/product may face; Time (at the current stage of internationalization) for the company to enter the country market; Resources for market entry; Analysis of the economic environment of the country; Political/legal environment; Restrictions on the company's exports (regulatory aspect of exports); Import regulations, tariff and non-tariff barriers; Target group identification and analysis; Distribution channels: intermediaries; Etc.
• Development of the company's entry strategy
  Market entry routes, risks, constraints, opportunities, resources required, etc; Identification and analysis of target audience; Distribution channels: intermediaries, types of intermediaries, national/regional coverage, etc; Key competitors, intensity of competition; Overall positioning; Product or service line, degree of localization; Price positioning, profitability outlook; Branding and communication strategy; Etc.
• Organization of operational activities
  Establishment of the company, search for personnel, work with key partners, implementation / adaptation of the entry strategy, marketing activities, pricing policies, etc.
• Present the final result of the project to the client
  MSFT PowerPoint slides supported by oral presentation and a written report. Defend the project in public. Answer the client's questions, justify each conclusion/confirmation. Comments from the client.

Interim Assessment

• 2024/2025 3rd module
  0.1 * Business analysis and product(s) selection + 0.1 * Development of the company's entry strategy + 0.1 * Organization of operational activities + 0.6 * Present the final result of the project to the client + 0.1 * Selection of country(s) for entry
• 2025/2026 2nd module
  1 * 2024/2025 3rd module

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Business analysis for business intelligence, Brijs, B., 2013
• Global business : management, Willcocks, L. P., 2021
• Global business : strategy in context, Willcocks, L. P., 2021
• International business, Peng, M., 2019

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, Hill, Ch.W.L., 2014

Authors

• SHAPOSHNIKOV SERGEY VYACHESLAVOVICH